Level.



H. I. GARRIGAN.

LEVEL.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 14, 1908.

975,830. I Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Ji /wry I Lari Liam, Mel 0757".

A UNHED sraras Parana orator.

HENRY J. CARRIGAN, or BUFFALO, new YORK.

LEVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 15, 1910, Application filedNovember 14, 1908.

Serial No. 462,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. CARRIGAN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Levels, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in levels and the like, and hasparticular reference to a gravity level; and its object is to provide asimple, perfectly true and correct level combiningthe advantages of anordinary spirit-level and a gravity level.

Another object is, to provide the level with a graduatedindicating-annulus or dial so that the exact degree in which the levelis held may be ascertained; and to provide one longitudinal marginalportion of the stock or body of the level with graduations, denoting bypreference, inches and fractions thereof so that the length of rafters,stairstringers and the like may be determined when arranged to any knownangle; and so that the height of an object may be measured from adistant point.

The ordinary spirit-level is quick-acting and accurate but requiresclose and careful examination to center the air-bubble in the tube anddetermine a line or plane parallel with the horizon; whereas a gravitylevel, such as now in use, while easy to read, is slow in action andunsteady, and requires time to bring it into a state of equipoise. Toovercome the disadvantages of both these forms of levels, I havedesigned what may well be termed a liquid-gravity level; and myinvention consists in a level having an indicating-mark or marks, and aweighted oscillating-index in which the weight is hollow and nearlyfilled with a liquid, such as alcohol, mercury, or the like; the liquidacting to quickly bring the oscillating weight into a state of equipoiseand to make said weight quicker in action and very sensitive.

The invention also consists in the construction, arrangement andcombination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a levelequipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is an upper edge view of the same.Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section taken on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a cross-section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is across-section taken on line 5-5,

Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the liquid-weight andits supporting pintle. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the complete levelon a reduced scale, the same being set at an angle of 45 degrees.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, like letters of reference referto like parts in the several figures.

The reference letter A designates the stock or body-portion of the levelprovided at a point midlength and centrally between its edges with acircular opening B and to one side of said opening with a recess orpocket C extending vertically to the upper edge of the stock.

Within said circular opening an indicator'frame D is secured, said framecomprising two dial-plates E separated by an intervening space F andhaving their marginal portions graduated, as at G, or having their facescovered with graduated dialpieces, as may be desired. The graduationsare arranged in circular series and divided into degrees. Thedial-plates are connected by means of cross-members H, and mounted torock in said plates is a pintle I having its ends reduced and passedthrough said plates; and to the projecting reduced ends of said pintle,index-fingers J are secured. In order to protect the dial-plates andindex-fingers, I cover the same with glass, as at J K designates agravity element in the form of a pendulum or oscillating weight; and itcomprises a tube L, preferably of glass, and a hanger M formed of wirepassed through said pintle and directed toward opposite ends of saidtube, which hangs beneath and at a right-angle to said pintle; the endsof said wire being bent into the ends of said tube, as at m. Within thelatter, a quantity of mercury, alcohol or other suitable fluid l isplaced, the ends of the tubes being sealed or otherwise closed, as at Zto retain the fluid in the tube and also to prevent disen gagement ofthe tube from the hanger.

Extending into the pocket C of the stock from the frame D is abifurcated lug N to which the inner end of an adjusting-screw O isrotatably connected; said screw being threaded through a block Parranged transversely in the pocket 0 and held so that it may rotateslightly to accommodate itself to the changing angle of theadjusting-screw as the dial-frame is adjusted. The latter is free torotate without rotating the pintle I,

thus permitting the gravity-element to retain its state of equlpoisewhile the dialframe is moved to bring the zero marks or graduationsthereon in registration with the index-fingers. The means herein shownfor retaining the block P in position, yet allowing it to rotate,comprises two conical ended screws Q threaded through the sides of thestock and having their conical ends entering complementary depressions Rin the ends of said blocks, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The lower marginal portion of the stock is graduated, as at S, thegraduations denoting inches and fractions thereof; and by means of thesegraduations and the indi cator-dials E, the length to which rafters,stair-stringers or the like must be cut when set at a certain angle, canbe easily ascertained. For example, in F ig. 7, the stock is arranged atan angle of forty-five degrees, the line T designates the center of abuilding and the point U the side of the building. Now assuming eachinch to represent one foot, it is clearly apparent that the rafter of abuilding twice the width of the distance designated by the line V, whenarranged at an angle of forty-five degrees will be fourteen feet long.

It is obvious that the principle of this invention may be applied in anumber of different ways, and I therefore do not restrict myself to theconstruction shown, which is only one representative form; but

Having illustrated and described what is now considered the preferredform, what I claim is,

1. A level comprising a stock provided with an opening, anindicator-frame set into said opening and having graduated faces exposedon opposite sides of said stock, a pintle mounted in said frame,index-tingers secured to opposite ends of said pintle, a

hanger formed of wire passed through said pintle, and inclined inopposite directions with its extremities recurved to form oppositehooks, a tube hung upon said hooks and sealed at the ends to preventdisengagement of said hooks from said tube,

said tube containing a fluid retained by sealing the ends of said tube.

2. A level comprising a stock provided with a transverse opening and apocket extending inward from one edge of said stock and in connectionwith said opening, an indicator-frame rotatable within said opening andhaving a graduated face, an adjustingscrew in said pocket connected atits inner end to said indicator-frame, an index-finger cooperating withthe graduations on the face of said frame, and an oscillating-memberwithin said frame controlling the movements of said index-finger.

3. A level comprising a stock provided with a transverse opening and apocket extending inward from one edge of said stock and in connectionwith said opening, an indicator-frame rotatable within said opening andhaving a graduated face, a rotatable block in said pocket, anadjusting-screw threaded through said block at a right-angle to its axisand connected at its inner end to said indicator-frame, an index-fingercooperating with said indicator-frame, and an oscillatingmember withinsaid frame controlling the movements of said indexfinger.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY J. CARRIGAN.

lVitnesses:

ELLA C. PLUEOKHAHN, EMIL NEUHART.

